Some were just beginning their teaching careers. Others had taught in public schools but were new to Catholic education. All would soon step into classrooms across the Diocese of Lansing for the very first time.

Before greeting students or starting their first lessons, they began their journey with prayer and formation at the diocese’s New Teacher Institute.

The two-day retreat is designed to root new teachers in the mission of Catholic education. The institute was funded by the Stewardship for Saints and Scholars campaign, a $70 million effort to make Catholic education across the diocese ever more affordable, accessible, and on mission.

“The New Teacher Institute is so amazing and so necessary,” Tom Maloney, superintendent of the diocese’s Catholic schools, said in an email. “It permits us the time and resources to explain an authentically Catholic vision of education to our new teachers while also forming them in prayer and providing them with community ahead of the new school year.”

The institute is more than new teacher orientation, it’s an invitation to a different way of teaching.

“As we continue to renew our Catholic schools, we recognize that what we are asking our teachers to do may be very different from how they were trained, both philosophically and pedagogically,” he explained. 

“Secular education tells us that the highest goal for students is college and career-readiness. While these are certainly important ... we seek to form our students into saints who will win this world for Christ and be happy with him forever in the next.”

Over two days, the diocese’s new teachers explored that vision in depth. Maloney and Associate Superintendents Mandy Wildern and Steve Vaughan led sessions on the mission of Catholic schools, while Father Seamus Kettner guided the participants through finding their identity as Catholic school teachers.

The new teachers also prayed together, shared meals, and selected Our Lady of Champion as the patron saint for their group.

“The New Teacher Institute was such a great way to get into the right mindset for the beginning of the school year,” one teacher said.

“Coming from a public school, I felt so inspired and blessed to be joining the Catholic school family.”

Another new teacher said the institute “reaffirmed my decision,” adding, “I absolutely loved my time at the retreat.… I am excited to come back!”

That excitement is key. The institute is not a one-time event but the beginning of a three-year formation journey. 

Each year, that group of teachers will gather again for additional training and support. Along the way, they will be eligible for additional $1,000 bonuses for attending future new teacher formation and development days, up to a total of $6,000 — all funded by the Stewardship for Saints and Scholars campaign.

The institute and the bonuses are part of the diocese’s efforts to attract and keep the best teachers. 

Teacher retention is a pressing challenge across the nation. Nationally, nearly half of all teachers leave the profession within five years. In Lansing, the diocese replaces an average of 50 teachers each year, roughly 9% of its teaching staff. By investing in teachers early on, the diocese hopes to build both competence and confidence, giving teachers the tools to thrive in the classroom and the support to remain long-term.

The institute is paired with another initiative called Invest in the Best, which rewards experienced teachers who remain in diocesan schools with retention bonuses of up to $3,000 every three years. 

Together, the bonus programs embody one of the campaign’s core goals: keeping Catholic schools on mission by attracting, forming, training, and retaining excellent teachers and administrators.

Teachers “are on the front lines in the battle for the souls of our children,” Maloney said. “They have to be on-fire disciples of the Lord who are willing and able to serve as a witness of Christ’s love and mercy.”

Though the campaign is still underway, the Our Lady of Champion group has entered classrooms across the diocese, bringing with them lesson plans and textbooks,  and a renewed sense of mission.

“The Diocese of Lansing is doing something exciting,” Maloney said. “We are intentionally reclaiming the Catholic liberal arts tradition in all of our Catholic schools. Many stand-alone schools across the country are going through a renewal, but for it to happen at a diocesan level is rare. However, the Lord has spoken clearly, through the direction of Bishop Boyea, that this is what He desires for his schools. 

“We are delighted and humbled to say yes to his call.”